Flood Warnings Under Effect for Chicago Suburbs

Rainfall in Chicago and surrounding suburbs has triggered flood warnings. The National Weather Service has issued flood watch in the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Ford, Grundy Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall, La Salle, Livingston and Will as heavy rains continue to fall. According to the weather service, the ground remains frozen from recent cold weather and subsequently much of the rain will result in rapid runoff.

Additionally, the weather service has issued a flood warning for the Des Plaines River near the  city of Des Plaines and the Little Calumet River at South Holland. The Chicago Tribune reports that the storm is expected to result in up to 4 in. of rainfall in some areas, and that standing water and basement flooding has already been reported in several counties.

The DuPage County Stormwater Management has issued a statement that their major flood control facilities are expected to be in operation through the end of the week. Increased elevations in the Salt Creek and the West Branch of the DuPage River have led DuPage County to operate the Elmhurst Quarry, Fawell Dam in Naperville, Spring Creek Reservoir in Bloomingdale, the Armstrong Park Reservoirs in Carol Stream, and the Wood Dale-Itasca Reservoir, according to The Daily Herald. Combined, the county’s 16 flood control facilities have a storage capacity of 6 billion gal.

As heavy rains continue to fall, residents of Chicagoland and the surrounding suburbs are advised to drive cautiously in flood prone areas particularly with the risk of freezing rain.